Fleeting Dreams
by xXDreams-Of-FlightXx
Summary: What if the real cause of Martel's death was not her sickness, but something else entirely? A story of fleeting dreams of those still living. Vampires involved hooray... Zelloyd. first summary/story ever, srry
1. Prologue: A BloodBound Pact of Regret

Me: Disclaimer! I do NOT own Tales of Symphonia or any of it's characters. *mutters* but I wish I owned Kratos…

Lloyd: You still own the story! … Although the idea of you wanting to own my father is a bit… weird.

Me: Yes… This one, at least~ :D Oh, but if someone already made a story like this, I'm sorry! I haven't read enough fanfiction to know.*ignores his comment about wanting to own Kratos* … … Wait. Lloyd… Why are you here?

Lloyd: Um… isn't this story about me?

Zelos: *pops in* And the oh so glorious me?

Lloyd: *glares*

Me: Err… Yes, but it's not time for you two to enter… *shoves both out of room* Now, onward with the prologue… which is very long .

Zelos: *from far down the hall* I will be back, mon cherie!

Lloyd: *from a different direction, but still outside* Oh, shut it!

Me: ^-^; *mutters to self* Must remember to put Zelos through a lot of pain… OH! And before I forget, this, although I'm just describing Mithos right now, WILL be a zelloyd slash! XD There will be a lemon… in… later chapters providing that I don't, like, die while writing it… So this shall be rated M for violence, (possibly) language, and the later lemons…

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**Prologue: A Blood-bound Pact of Regret**

Mithos gave a slight unconscious shudder at the unearthly being before him. It was Xareth, summon spirit of eternal life or that's what he was led to believe, and it's cold red eyes, pale skin, and overall presence radiated an aura of pure evil and blood thirst. A small glint from the small amount of light that struggled into the room shined on his barely visible fangs that were sharpened to look as if they could cut through butter. The spirit gave a cold smile that didn't touch his eyes sending another chill through his and his companion's spines. Mithos was here to do something important, something that may, or may not save his beloved sister's life-- a life he could not bare to let end lest he too be pulled into the depths of eternal sleep, never to awaken again.

He was not alone in the room for Kratos, Martel, and Yuan were not far from him; however, he was the closest to the spirit, for he was the summoner, or pact-maker, in the group. The air around him seemed to get colder as he approached the spirit.

"Xareth, Bearer of Eternal Life! I am Mithos!" The words left his lips smoothly with nary a hint of the subconscious fear he was feeling underneath it all at the spirit. "I wish that thou establish a pact with me, in my quest to create a new world!" His words were not a lie as he truly would carry out his promise just as he would continue to save his dying sister, Martel. The silence after the final syllable was spoken stretched on as the smile became wider on the spirit's face. The only word that could describe it was demonic.

"A long time it has been since a human-" He took a large breath and seemed to relish the very taste and smell of the air and his eyes twinkled with a dark glint. "No, a half-elf has graced this chamber to make a pact with me." Kratos and Yuan kept themselves steady while Martel seemed to shuffle nervously where she stood. Xareth licked his lips as his alert eyes watched the group; his eyes seemed hungry. Then, he turned his attention back to the pack-maker standing before him. "and I see you have bought friends. Now, a pact you wish to make with me? I suppose that may be arranged… but you will have to fight for the honor." An animalistic and bloodthirsty expression overcame his features as he took a step back and readied himself. The group readied their weapons, preparing themselves for the inevitable battle that was about to ensue.

The battle raged fiercely with clangs and the words of spells filling the air. The group started to sweat with the effort they put forth; however, Xareth didn't seem to use any energy at all though he had lacerations all over his body that bled heavily. Worry began to cloud their minds. Would this battle end? Xareth was known for eternal life, surely it would be impossible to defeat the spirit. As soon as that thought started to enter their minds, Xareth stopped, with a large leer in his face and took a step back. His wounds did not hinder his movements though the group's wounds slowed their own. The summon spirit's eyes were filled with even more thirst than when they had first entered the room. They braced themselves expecting a sort of powerful attack to suddenly come forth. Nothing happened, and the spirit continued his leering.

"You have passed." The few yet disquieting words brought a bit of shock, if only for a moment, to their faces. Never before had they not defeated a spirit, yet were considered "passed" as Xareth had just pronounced them, or mostly Mithos himself. "Come closer." Mithos complied and stepped cautiously closer to the being who continued beckoning him with a strange expression on his face and the same look of hunger and blood thirst in his eyes until they were less than a foot apart. Shuffling could be heard behind him as his companions inched steadily closer as a tendril of fear wormed it way into the very back of their minds making them edgy.

Everything was still as Xareth and Mithos stared each other in the eyes without breaking eye contact for not even a second. Even though Mithos and his companions were as alert as any mortal could be, it could not possibly be enough as the spirit suddenly launched himself forward onto the pact-maker and burying his fangs deep into the boy's neck eliciting a cry of pain. Blood dripped from where the fangs pierced the soft white skin that seemed to pale with every passing second.

It was a cry of unison as the trio behind the two immediately started to converge on them determined to get Mithos away from the spirit, but an invisible wall seemed to stop them from getting within 3 feet of their companion.

Finally, Xareth broke his teeth away from the now bloody neck and licked his lips while laying the boy softly on his back. He touched a finger to his bleeding wound dripped a few drops of blood into the pact-maker's open lips and gave a satisfied smirk; Mithos was still alive and breathing.

"The Blood-pact is sealed with this exchange of blood. Eternal life is given, a curse to such corrupt beings as yourselves. The consequences of our pact shall show themselves soon enough. See to it yourself if you truly wanted this gift or burden, whichever you decide to entitle it." A final smirk plastered itself onto his face; it was a look of true malevolence and madness as he faded away into the shadows.

"Brother!" The first cry to pierce the air and be heard as the invisible barrier seemingly disappeared came from Martel, Mithos' dearly beloved sister, as she rushed to his side alarm clear on her face.

"Mithos!" Kratos and Yuan yelled in unison as they too rushed to the pact-maker's side only moments after Martel.

Pain was all Mithos could feel. It numbed him to the voices that called desperately for him to speak-- to respond. The pain numbed all his senses. He didn't even know if he was breathing; all he knew was the pain that surged like lightning throughout his body. Every cell in his body burned with an unquenchable fire, but he did not more. The pain was so great, he did not even know how to move. The only evidence of pain was the grimace on the boy's face.

"We have to get him to a bed!" Martel was starting to panic about her brother's well-being.

"I'm not sure if it would be safe to move him." Kratos' firm voice echoed throughout the room.

"Even if that's true, he is clearly in pain and we should at least move him someplace more comfortable and closer to town, so if we were in need a doctor, we would be close enough to acquire the assistance of one. That, or we get him to a bed in an inn as Martel suggested. Besides, it's nighttime, and we probably don't want to run into any monsters." Yuan smoothly spoke the words with the logic behind them crystal clear. The trio thought long and hard at Mithos on the ground, and after conversing a bit more, decided on bring the pact-maker carefully but quickly to an inn as they weren't too far from the city of Ozette.

After a night of pain for the pact-maker, it slowly dulled and Mithos' mind became clearer; however, the pain was slowly replaced with thirst. He slowly opened his now crimson eyes open and first noticed his sister Martel.

"Brother!" Martel immediately rushed to the boy's side; Kratos was restocking the supplies he could whilst Yuan stood guard at the door. None of them could even suspect what Mithos would do next to his beloved sister for they did not know the consequences of the pact.

Mithos breathed heavily. His hearing was heightened due to the blood-pact with Xareth, and all he could think about at the soft beating of his sister-- at this point the didn't even think of her as his sister-- and the blood inside her that could quench his thirst.`

"Are you feeling alright, Mithos?" Concern was clear on Martel's face as she noted his crimson red eyes that both frightened and attracted her. There was an air about the pact-maker that seemed to pull her in-- seemed to mesmerize her.

"Brother?" Mithos didn't respond as she spoke again. She tried to hide the fear apparent in her voice as Mithos moved ever closer to her with his eyes locked on her soft, exposed, and vulnerable throat. Every heartbeat that caused the life giving elixir in the girl's veins to continue throughout her system made him hunger for the same liquid more and more. Soon, Martel felt her brother and his crimson eyes were too closer than deemed necessary or comfortable. The need she felt to get away from her brother shook her to the core. This was her brother. Of that, she was sure; however, that did not mean she should just sit there.

"Br-brother. Whatever you are doing, please stop…" Her voice was shaky and cracked from fear as she tried to back away. It was then that she realized that moving was not an option. Something seemed to be keeping her immobile as her brother got so close that she could feel his hot breath tickle the skin of her neck.

Mithos swallowed dryly with his pupils fully dilated from hunger and desire for his sister's blood. Pearly white fangs glinted in the moonlight that streamed through the window on the two as he hungrily pierced her skin as she screamed. Her limbs had finally started to work as her blood was drained away drop by drop pounding her fists on Mithos' back in terror as death loomed over the horizon.

Yuan was the first to hear the scream as he burst into the room to behold the horrifying scene. He ran at breakneck speed towards the two remembering what had happened earlier that day with Xareth. They fell apart easily as Yuan pried them apart; however, it was too late. The damage had been done. Martel's complexion had become snow white. There was no hint of life-giving blood that had once flowed through her veins save from the small thin trail from her neck and Mithos' lips. Her eyes were glazed and she did not move again.

"MARTEL! OH, GOD, NO! MARTEL, DON'T LEAVE ME!" A cry of deep anguish left Yuan as he collapsed sobbing next to Martel with his heart broken. All the while, the pact-maker's mind was steadily clearing as he licked his lips and swallowed the last few drops of his sister's blood. As his thinking became clearer, he realized the consequences of the atrocious act he had just committed in his thirst and hunger. He had lost his sister thanks to one of the very pacts he had made to save her. He had lost his reason for living.

Mithos streaked out of the room leaving Yuan sobbing next to his sister's now cold body and ran into Kratos who immediately grabbed hold of the boy to keep him from rushing.

"Mithos…?" Kratos started to worry as he held the tear streaked boy as he looked beyond him into the room. "Martel?" He accidentally let go of the suicidal boy as he beheld the unmoving and deathly pale Martel. Mithos immediately stole Kratos' sword and started to run blindly through the forest till he came to small clearing. The heavy sword gleamed as he quickly unsheathed it trying to ignore the footsteps that were not far behind; Kratos wasn't far.

"DON'T DO IT!" Was Kratos' final shout as the pact-maker plunged the sword all the way through his body making a wound Kratos' healing magic would not be able to heal as he slowly died and paid for the terrible sin he had committed. He coughed out blood and fell to the ground as Kratos knelt beside him; however, it was not in pain that Mithos had fallen to the ground. It was from shock. The wound did not hurt him at all; the coughing up of blood was only a reflex his body still had.

"…se…" The words Mithos spoke were inaudible as his blank eyes stared into space with his hands still on the hilt of the sword piercing his body.

"What…?" Kratos couldn't speak loudly as the shock from what Mithos had just did still shook him to the core.

"It's a curse…" The once blank stare had turned into one of pure madness one can only experience once losing everything he had to live for in life.

"…" Kratos could not respond to Mithos and bit his lip as he noticed the look in Mithos' eyes. He started to protest when the boy started to pull out the sword and cringed slightly after noticing the lack of pain on his face. Soon, the bloody sword was out Mithos stood unhindered by his wounds handing over the sword to it's master.

"Let us return, Kratos." He turned back not even trying to hide the large bleeding wound and approached the inn where the dead Martel lay with Yuan-- now more collected but still with a look of pure grief on his face-- next to her. Kratos followed close behind reluctantly. Mithos opened the door with no restraint or nervousness; the boy was completely devoid of emotions and seemed to only radiate an aura of madness.

"Yuan." Yuan's head jerked up at the sound of his name and face became furious as he looked upon Mithos, the killer of Martel. "Yuan. We are continuing our journey to create a new world."

"And Martel? What are we supposed to do about your beloved sister?!" He was fuming at this point for he had secretly loved the girl. If his words struck a nerve in the emotionless boy, no one could tell.

"I will bring her back to life." Mithos said calmly, though the madness behind his words were apparent to the two.

"That can't be pos-" Kratos started to say.

"Cease your speaking, Kratos." Mithos interrupted. Kratos stopped speaking against his will. The words he wished to say could not be voiced. It seemed the trio had just learned of another capability of Mithos': control of people's actions. "We will continue on our journey, we will revive Martel, and create a world where half-elves may live without fear." Though it was unspoken, he would also find out a way to control his bloodlust.

The two were silent, compelled to obey Mithos' commands, and they continued on their journey. Mithos made a final pact with the summon spirit Origin, receiving the Eternal Sword that could control time and space. Using the sword, he split the two countries that were at war, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla into two separate worlds and froze the time of Martel's body. Then, he created the world called Derris-Kharlan where he housed half-elves and experimented to find a way to dull his bloodlust so that he would never hurt Martel after he, for her still believed he could, resurrected her.

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Me: Whew. That was the longest prologue I have ever written... Now, despite what it may seem, the main character is not Mithos or any of his group. The main characters and pairing is Zelloyd, otherwise known as Zelos and Lloyd. So, yes, there will be slash, and yes, i will eventually write a lemon. So, if you like this so far, please read and review~ Your critisicm and comments on my story fuel the part of me that will continue typing this story! Er.. but no flaming, please. Flaming would get me depressed... Especially since this is my first fanfic ever... Haha... I'm talking a lot, aren't I?

Lloyd: *pops in* Yes, you are.

Zelos: *pops in behind Lloyd* Yes, but I believe it's cute~ *winks at me*

Me: ^-^# Um... Lloyd... Zelos... I thought I threw both of you out.

Lloyd: But I'm appearing in the next chapter! Why can't I be at the bottom of the first... D:

Zelos: Yes, I'm sure my fans are absolutely dying to see me! *waves at readers*

Lloyd: *hits extremely hard on the head with one of his sword scabbards* Don't cheat on me!

Zelos: D: *rubs head* But I'm sure some people are your fans too...

Me: *slaps ducttape on botht their mouths as they protest* RIGHT! Now that that is out of the way... Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 1: Observations and Deceptions

Me: Disclaimer! I do not own Tales of Symphonia or it's characters *sobs* But, I do own this story! (with the exception of the tons of quotes I took from the script of ToS) Rant moved to the bottom because I don't want to scare away potential readers~  


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**Chapter 1: Observations and Deceptions**

Lloyd, Kratos, Colette, and the rest of the group arrived at Hima, the next to final stop on their journey of world regeneration. Colette was quiet as they all gazed upon the Tower of Salvation. Lloyd stepped enthusiastically closer to the edge.

"Looking at it like this, it feels really close." He said excitedly, thinking about the end of Journey of Regeneration as it finally started to come to a close.

"But it's really very far away. And it looks like there's no path leading to it." Genis sighed and shook his head as he too looked at the Tower of Salvation. Kratos was silent as he looked at their goal. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched by someone-- he had had that feeling during the whole journey and it still hadn't gone away. It was a bad feeling of foreboding, and he trusted his instinct for it was usually correct.

"You there!" The group slightly jumped at the new and unexpected voice; Kratos especially mentally jumped, though he remained as stoic as usual. They turned around as the man started to rant about his dragons and how they could take them to the Tower of Salvation.

"Okay! We want to ride the dragons!" Lloyd practically punched the air in his excitement as his chocolate brown eyes twinkled with enthusiasm.

"Great! You have the honor of being the very first customers of the Dragon Tour!" The man started to count them up. "Let's see now, six people means three dragons, so… Here's a special price available only today! It'll be 6,000 Gald!" The group mentally staggered at the mention of the hefty sum and started to squabble. Then, when Genis mentioned it was for world regeneration, the man started to stutter and panic telling them to put their money away when they hadn't even moved to take it out yet. After that all was settled and the group now had a ride to the Tower of Salvation, they split up around the village for the night.

Lloyd wandered around Hima, talking to every one of his companions before sleeping and getting annoyed once again at Kratos' cryptic conversation about not making a mistake and clinging to the Chosen. With a sigh, he headed for his room in the inn that he was sharing with Genis, too tired to bother his best friend as he slept, snoring lightly. He stripped down to his black sleeveless undershirt and boxers that he wore underneath all the clothes and stuck them where he could quickly get them in the morning-- it wasn't as if he didn't wash them for he still considered them clean right now-- and turned off the light. As he made his way to the bed, he caught his right leg on something sharp and scratched himself deep on his thigh.

"Damn it…" The teen muttered under his breath as he brought his hand down to the scratch, then to his mouth without hesitation. He cursed more when he tasted iron; he was bleeding. More carefully now, he sat on his bed and blindly sifted through the drawers of the stand next to him till him found some tissues and pressed them against the small bleeding wound on his thigh. The bleeding soon stopped and he dropped the bloody tissues into the trash can, which wasn't too hard to find as it was next to his bed, and went to sleep, but not after grabbing a glass of water to drink.

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Staring at the starry skies above him, he reminisced about his past. He absentmindedly touched his hand to his neck and closed his eyes.

"Kratos. Have you felt this feeling that we are being watched?" A female voice questioned from behind him.

Kratos jerked his hand away from his neck, and turned around to face Raine, the other adult in their group, and her intelligent eyes as her voice pulled him back to the present. "The Chosen's group is always watched, be it with good or bad intentions. Our job is to protect the Chosen from the bad ones." He had an inkling of who was watching them; however, he could not be sure.

"Yes…" Raine nodded thoughtfully as she took in his words. "That is our job, but it would be nice to know which kind those intentions were for a change. Good night, Kratos." She turned on heels with a sigh and headed in the direction of the inn to get some much needed rest. Kratos turned his head back up to the stars for one last look, then soon follow suit.

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"You're as sweet as ever, my delicate flower!" Zelos placed a small kiss on the cheek of one of the many girls surrounding him and the girl turned tomato red, letting out some giggles.

"Oh, Master Zelos, we mustn't! Please, think of the other girls." She let out another giggle, her face still red. Though she said that, she wanted to flaunt the fact that he had kissed her among the other girls in the group.

"Oh, would my other beautiful young maidens love a kiss from me?" He tossed a good natured smile around his miniature harem. The girls swooned and said they did; each promptly receiving a kiss on the cheek from Zelos while the first girl crossed her arms and got a touch sulky.

"Well, I suppose I should start to get going, my lovely ladies. A Chosen such as myself needs to perform his duty once in a while, though I'd much rather stay and chat with my lovely princesses." He winked in the direction at the sulking girl who immediately brightened as he started to leave. Right when he left, sounds of a growing bicker started to be heard as they argued over him.

'_These girls are starting to become boring. I need something new.'_ Zelos thought with a sigh as he made for his large and impossible to miss mansion, waving and winking at every girl that crossed his path; the bit about doing his duty was a half-lie to escape from the bickering girls. Soon, he arrived at his mansion.

"Yo, 'bastian. I'm home." He said nonchalantly as he opened his front door.

"Good afternoon, Master Zelos. I trust your jaunt was to your liking?" The butler greeted Zelos with a large bow as the Chosen started to head for his room.

"It was awesome. Don't disturb me while I'm in my room, 'kay?" He called down as he started to enter his room, getting a "Yes, Master Zelos" from Sebastian. Light knocking could be heard from his balcony, and he turned his head to see an angel through the glass panes of his balcony door. Sauntering over, he opened the door and let the man in, not surprised at his wings; it wasn't the first time an angel had visited him.

"Hello, Chosen. I assume you are still keen on that deal you and I, representing Cruxis, have?" The angel got straight to the point just as he always did.

"Of course," Zelos said coolly. "This job of being Chosen is not for me. I'm sure Seles would like it much more, angel." There was a slightly dark tone to his voice as he spoke; he knew the angel was a half-elf, but he never said so out loud. Zelos figured it would be better for himself and the "angel's" pride. The half-elf nodded at his words, giving a slight smile when he called him an angel.

"Well then, I've only been sent here by Lord Yggdrasill to confirm our deal. Also, he sent me to give you a special message." His last words ended with a smirk.

"So, when can I finally get to meet this amazing Lord Yggdrasill?" The angel had mentioned his master's name at their last meeting, and said that they might meet.

"Not now. None can fathom what Lord Yggdrasil might want or do next, especially a mortal such as yourself." A slight chuckle escaped the half-elf at Zelos. Zelos shrugged and rolled with the punches. The half-elf obviously deemed himself much more superior to Zelos, but he couldn't care less. He just wanted to live his life the way he wished.

"So, what's this message the mighty Lord Yggdrasil sends for me?" Zelos queried, curious as to what the Lord of Cruxis and these super-powered half-elves could have to say to him. Reaching into a pocket in his white clothes, the angel pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the chosen.

"Kill this man, and the deal will be complete." With a final smirk the angel disappeared causing Zelos to wonder why they had wings to fly if they could just teleport everywhere. The chosen unfolded the piece of paper to reveal a picture of a chocolate-eyed young man with spiky hair, sporting an idiotic grin.

"So… I'm to carry out dirty work, huh?" He shrugged a bit and stuck the paper into his pockets; Zelos would be careful not to lose it. "Well, then I suppose I'd better do it."

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Mithos gave a maniacal laugh as he watched the group from his room using magitechology, just as he had during the Chosen's Journey of Regeneration. He watched in his younger form, seeming not to have changed for the hundreds of years since his blood pact. The crazed laughter echoed throughout the chamber, but soon it was silent as he focused on the red-clothed boy named Lloyd Irving who slept soundly on the bed. His eyes flashed red in anger as he thought of what that boy was. He could not let that boy live freely and happily, no, he could not.

To him, Lloyd was a symbol of betrayal, of love. Ever since he had found out what the boy was to Kratos, his servant whom he had _believed_ to be faithful, he had started to plot and scheme. Soon, it would be time for his plan to begin as the Chosen's group neared the end of their journey.

"He'll get what he deserves soon…" He muttered while a demonic smile came to his face. Mithos chuckled darkly, turned off the piece of machinery, and headed for his bed. Though he did not need to sleep, a side effect from the Cruxis Crystal he had created over the centuries he had been alive to suppress his thirst and make his curse into a blessing of sorts, he liked to keep the bed in his room for times he felt he needed peace.

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**(A/N: Argh. I couldn't help it and I practically recounted everything from the time they go to the Tower of Salvation to a point. Bleh. You can skip if you want… I'll put another A/N where you need to resume reading…)**

Lloyd woke up with a groan as he was temporarily blinded by the sunlight that streamed into his room.

"Genis?" His voice and sight was groggy as he started to kick the blanket off him-- something he soon regretted as the cold air met his skin-- and rubbed the grogginess out of his eyes. "Damn it!" He cursed loudly for the second time in less than 24 hours as he realized he was the only one in the room. Grabbing his clothes, he rushed to put them on, dropping his heavy red boots with a clunk once and entangling himself in his suspenders. Finally, with his usual and mostly red apparel on, he slid his double swords into place and ran noisily down the inn stairs and out the door; Raine had paid when they had first acquired the rooms.

"Ah, sleeping beauty is finally up." Genis sighed as Lloyd entered the group's sight. Lloyd laughed nervously; he knew he slept like a rock.

"It's finally time." Lloyd changed the subject to a more important one as he looked to the hill.

"…We should hurry." Kratos started to make his way up the hill with everyone following not too far behind. When they got up to the top of they hill, three dragons came into their sight with their beautiful scales shining brightly in the sun. They were greeted by the smiling owner of the dragons and were told how to ride which was in pairs.

"I will ride on the same dragon as the Chosen. Protecting her… is my job." Kratos guided the silent Colette to a dragon and they started to climb on while the owner babbled instructions loud enough for the group to hear. Lloyd chose to ride with Genis, and Sheena rode with Raine; Kratos and Colette had already taken off towards the tower of salvation.

"…It's almost time." Lloyd softly spoke once they started to glide through the slightly chilly air.

"Yeah… the world will be regenerated soon, right?" The small boy replied just as quietly; their voices were hard to hear over the whipping wind and the leathery flaps of the scaly dragon that effortlessly ferried them to the tower.

"Yeah."

"…Are you worried about Colette?"

"Yes…" Lloyd paused a bit before he continued. "But… there isn't any other way… is there?"

"…Yeah." Their short conversation ended and they soon arrived at the tower of salvation. The dragon landed, only slightly jostling its passengers. Genis and Lloyd carefully dismounted the dragon and sent it back to its owner just as Raine and Sheena arrived doing the same thing. They noticed Kratos, Colette, and their dragon were no where in sight; it worried them and they promptly went inside deciding they had already headed inside.

Inside they beheld a terrible and grotesque sight; a seemingly endless amount of coffin shaped objects floated beneath the see-through path they followed into the heart of the tower. They all visibly shuddered as they realized the objects for what they truly were: the dead bodies of the past Chosens who failed the Journey of World Regeneration. Worried for their own Chosen, they rushed towards the teleporter to the next area.

Arriving in a white light by way of the teleporter, they saw Colette with her angelic pink and purple wings spread out behind her back as she prayed at the altar; Remiel was floating above the altar, flapping his great white wings.

"Now, my daughter. Release the final seal! In doing so, you will complete the final sacrifice of your human existence-- your heart and your memory. By doing so of your own free will, you will become a true angel!" Remiel's deep voice echoed throughout the temple; his words had a strange and barely unnoticeable pull to them.

Lloyd and Genis started to panic at the angel's words while Raine remained calm; Kratos was yet to be seen. Raine lowered her face ever so slightly and mentioned her research and promise to Colette. She explained the truth now of the Journey of Regeneration: giving up her life in order to save the world. Remiel held back a laugh.

"That's not quite correct. The Chosen's heart will die, and her body will be offered to the Goddess Martel. By removing her body, Colette will revive the Goddess. _This_ is the true nature of world regeneration! The revival of the Goddess Martel… is the revival of the world itself!"

"That… that's…" Lloyd gasped at the words as Raine stepped forward and mentioned Tethe'alla making the angel become silent.

"Can't Cruxis make both worlds peaceful?!" Sheena practically burst out.

"If that is what the Chosen wishes." Remiel responded. Colette's eyes widened slightly.

"You can't… are you really planning to die?!" Sheena shouted her voice both angry and concerned as Colette faced the group.

"Colette, stop! If you sacrifice yourself, your friends who love you… and your family.. And.. .. And me… we'll all be sad. It will be the same as sacrificing all of us!" Lloyd started to run towards Colette to stop her from becoming an angel when Genis held him back. He yelled and Remiel continued to beckon Colette to him; she complied and a large glowing circle started to envelop her. Overpowering Genis, Lloyd rushed to Colette.

Colette looked sadly at Lloyd and she spoke; however, it was not with her spoken voice, but the voice of her heart, apologizing for lying to her childhood friend. Lloyd shook his head and asked why she was carrying this on if she knew. Surprised by the fact that Lloyd could hear her "voice," she apologized and thanked him for her strength and said goodbye, closing her eyes. When they opened again, they were no long the beautiful and expressive pale blue eyes they had once been; but violet and soulless. He tried to get a response unsuccessfully.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Remiel's crazed laughter echoed around the tower. "I've done it! It's finally complete! Martel's vessel is finally complete! With this, I will become one of the four seraphim!"

"You bastard!" With a loud curse, Lloyd unsheathed his double swords and launched himself at the angel, slashing. The others quickly joined in the fight, assisting their comrade; they didn't want all of Colette's work to be for nothing. Genis used his kendama and a myriad of spells. Sheena was fast, using her summoning cards to attack the angel; Raine focused on healing their battle wounds. Remiel was strong, but he soon fell to their hands and collapsed on the ground.

Their attention was turned back to Colette as he tried to get a response from the now expressionless girl.

"You're wasting your time. Not only did she lose her memory, but she has lost the soul to listen to your words." Kratos entered the scene. "I have come to take her to Derris-Kharlan which will complete the Journey of Regeneration. It was what the Chosen wished for, is it not?"

"What are you talking about, Kratos?!" Lloyd demanded.

"L…Lord Kratos… have pity on me. Please… lend me your aid." Remiel's dying voice pleaded from the ground on which he lay.

"Have you forgotten, Remiel? I was once of the inferior race… a human. Does the ultimate being seek help from that which he despises the most?" Kratos asked. His words fell on empty ears as Remiel breathed his last. Lloyd advanced on Kratos, determined to keep the former comrade from Colette.

"Move out of the way." Kratos ordered. Lloyd froze as he heard the order, then his legs seemed to move themselves out of the mercenary's way; he struggled to keep his feet planted and succeeded with much effort. A flash of sadness showed itself on the mercenary's face; it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"Kratos… Who are you?" The boy kept his feet planted firmly on the ground.

"…I am of Cruxis, the organization that guides this world. I am one of

the Four Seraphim, sent forth to keep close watch over the Chosen." Kratos answered as his body begins to glow and a pair of blue angel's wings appeared on his back. They were not like Remiel's white feathered kind, but had a similar appearance to Colette's pink and purple ones. He held his sword and got ready as Lloyd and the rest of his group attacked; they did not want to let Colette's efforts amount to nothing.

The battle ended fiercely; this time Lloyd and his companions were not so lucky as they fell to the ground one by one, critically wounded. Kratos stepped forward to deliver the final blow to Lloyd, but could not do it and lowered his sword.

"I see you cannot kill _him_." A voice emanated from behind him.

"Lord Yggdrasil…" Kratos bowed slightly at the entrance of the angel.

"Who is that?" Genis voiced his question as he struggled to stand up once again.

"Another angel?!" Sheena yelled as she too tried to raise herself off the ground and readied her summoning cards; Lloyd pushed himself off the ground and leaned heavily on one of his swords as he kept the other at ready. Yggdrasil floated over, supported by his own wings, to the group and addressed Lloyd.

"Are you Lloyd?" The angel queried though he already knew the answer.

"Give me your name, and I'll give you mine!" He was no longer leaning on his sword, but standing up partially straight as he still struggled to stay upright.

"Ha ha…people need not introduce themselves to a dog."

"What did you say?!"

**(A/N: READ HERE! Lol… . )**

"Fine, I shall tell you my name, wretched human. I am Yggdrasill.

Leader of Cruxis…and the Desians!" His eyes completely turned red and he laughed maniacally as Lloyd ran forward. He summoned a glowing sword and the power hit them like a wave knocking out Lloyd and his companions before they could do a thing. The shockwave sent Lloyd to crash into a pillar in the chamber knocking it down and sending the crumbling rock into the depths of the tower below. Lloyd lay crumpled, fortunately still alive and breathing, on the ground as blood began to pool around him.

Kratos bit back a yell as he watched Lloyd get thrown into the pillar and stepped back ever so slightly as his eyes started to flash red, but the movement was not missed by Yggdrasil to smirked and put away his wings walking ever so slowly to the boy; his eyes were crimson red now. He picked up the boy by the collar and unbuttoned it enough to show the boy's vulnerable neck.

"I _trust_ you do not object, Kratos?" His teeth moved ever so closely to the boy's neck as he watched his servant out of the corner of his eyes.

"… No… I… do not object… Mithos…" Kratos said Yggdrasill's true name slowly with a shudder as his heartbeat quickened; he did not have the power to object. All he could do was watch helplessly.

Yggdrasill bit down hard on the boy's neck-- the punctures were sure to scare from the fierceness his bit down in-- and performed the blood pact with a look of glee in his crazed crimson eyes.

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Me: Ohhhh my god. Lloyd T_T

Lloyd: If you're going to cry and make a big deal out of it... WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO IT?!

Zelos: No, No I don't want to kill Lloyd!

Me: Cause I like getting depressed. Go figure, I'm a freak. Right well ANYWAY, it took me fooooreverrr to decide where to start chapter one... but I finally did it~ and it's long too~ how nice, no? And argh I almost killed myself when I retold the scene where Colette becomes soulless. My habits just wouldn't let me skip or something X_X Everyone, **PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!** If you don't review, I might quit or get really slow... and depressed... not the kind I like but *cough* the kind that keeps me from writing D: Oh, and while I'm at it, does anyone have any ideas as to how I can write a lemon without passing out or slamming my computer shut and running away? The lemon's probably far in the future, but it'd be nice if I knew I could actually do it... lol. Heh. this took me 2 sittings to write up once I actually decided a place to start :3

Zelos: I don't want to hunt Lloyd... He's a vampire not and he might hurt my pretty face D:

Lloyd: *twitches* Maybe I should... .

Me: Now, now, settle down you two so I can close this up ^-^ *ducttapes their mouths again*


	3. Chapter 2: Run, Run, and Never Stop

Me: Disclaimer! I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of it's characters. I DO however, own this story/plot as it came out of my imagination. However, if it resembles any other story out there, I'm very sorry, because I haven't read enough to find your story. *bows* Ranting moved to the bottom so I don't scare off readers... but first, **READ AND REVIEW!** If you don't, the next chapter miiight just come out after a painstakingly long time~ (Thanks especially to accident_prone who has reviewed both chapters-- not counting this-- so far! I'd say I love you, but that's kinda freaky coming from someone you don't know.))  
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Chapter 2: Run, Run, and Never Stop**

Lloyd was in a dreamlike state when Mithos, or Yggdrasill as he was called in Cruxis for very few knew his true name, plunged his gleaming, razor-sharp teeth into the swordsman's neck. All he could feel was a dull pain and an airy feeling as Mithos drank the red liquid that pooled from the punctures in his neck. Then, he felt something else. A warm liquid trickled into his mouth which he swallowed automatically; Mithos had made a cut on himself and trickled his own blood into the boy's mouth. The only witness of this quiet yet unsettling exchange was Kratos; however, they, including the unconscious people on the floor, were not to be alone for long as they were soon interrupted by a fire shot from the entrance of the room that almost made contact with the golden-haired angel.

Mithos dropped the boy who landed with a dull thud to the floor and avoided the fire with a curse as the Renegades flooded the room, but not before taking something from the boy's left hand. Botta entered and quickly inspected the scene; time was of the essence. He cursed under his breath when he saw Lloyd lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood and the Chosen having already became an angel.

"Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel! We have no choice. We're taking her back with us alive!" Botta shouted his orders which were quickly followed by his fellow Renegades. They quickly grabbed the unconscious bodies and rushed out of the room. Kratos almost breathed a sigh of relief, but knew it was too early to be at ease for the fact still stood that Lloyd had done a blood pact; however, he was safe for now from Mithos. Maybe that was a good omen.

"…Renegades…as irritating as ever. Still, it is of little consequence. I've much time on my hands. Kratos, let us leave." Mithos gave a little smile as he toyed with his imagination trying to figure out what the mercenary was thinking of what he had just done to Lloyd. Of course, he would have more time in the future to toy with the boy's life. That's all he had: time, and the power to do the things he wished. He disappeared in a ray of light and his glowing sword returned to it's place of rest in the tower.

"…Don't die, Lloyd…" The words were the last few spoken as Kratos, too, disappeared from the room.

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"Botta!" A blue-haired man caught sight of his partner and co-leader of the Renegades. "How was the miss-" He was cut short as the Renegades rushed in carrying the unconscious people into the Renegade base. A cold chill took hold of him and he grabbed hold of the two men that carried the bloodied Lloyd Irving in their arms. His face started to pale as he saw the two holes on the side of the boy's neck that were only just starting to clot. The swordsman was shivering in a cold sweat with a grimace of pain plastered on his face.

"Yuan, what are you doing, we need to-" Botta's gruff voice was laden with impatience; he had risked his life and that of his men to save these people from the clutches of Cruxis, and he needed to hurry and get them cared for.

"This one. Bind him and restrict his movements." The pallor of Yuan's skin started to return to normal as he got over the initial shock.

"…" Botta turned and addressed the men still holding Lloyd. "Well, you heard Lord Yuan!" He turned back to Yuan as the men moved onwards catching up with the group that hadn't slowed. "I'll trust in your decision, Yuan. Now, excuse me for I have matters to attend to." He headed for his office leaving the blue-haired man behind. Yuan paused for but a moment, watching his partner make his way down the halls, then he too went his own way.

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Renegade healers bustled back and forth as they worked to tend to the wounded Chosen's group. Colette herself was as emotionless as before by herself in the corner of the busy room. Lloyd was on a bed with the two Renegades that had brought him to the room binding him to it with ropes and chains. They were a bit skeptical of what they were doing, but it was an order from Lord Yuan, so they did it, nonetheless.

"Hey, one of them is waking up!" A Renegade said while pointing at the light blue-haired researcher of the group who had started to stir.

"Where are we?" Raine groaned as she got to her feet, leaning on her staff. She opened her eyes and surveyed the bustling around her happy that all of her companions were there, but a bit intrigued and shocked as to why Lloyd was fixed to the bed with chains and ropes. "I assumeyou have a reason for fixing my student to a bed?" The question was addressed to the Renegades in general.

"Lord Yuan ordered us to." One of them answered as he continued tending to her companions. "Look, you're a healer, right?" The same person irritably asked, but didn't wait for a response. "We've got enough on our hands, so start pulling your own weight!" Raine shook her head, _That was hardly the way to ask; however, I see no reason to heal my own comrades._ She raised her staff and muttered words for her healing magic. Soon, they began to awaken one by one.

"Wh-where are we?!" Sheena was the first to awaken of the two that were still unconscious followed quickly after the other, Genis. Raine moved over to Lloyd's bed as soon as they were awake and moving, worried for her less intelligent student; the Renegades began to leave, for their duty was done.

"Where's the angel?" He hopped on his short feet, but then realized that they were no longer in Derris-Kharlan.

"Lloyd!" They both exclaimed and ran to their companion's bed side and started to panic about why the red swordsman was tied to the bed while trying to take off the bindings. Then, Lloyd's eyes fluttered open earning a gasp from the boy's friends; they were crimson. The red-clothed boy pulled against his fastenings baring his now pointed teeth causing the group around his bed to flinch and move back slightly. He ripped free of his bindings except for the handcuffs that held his hands behind them; those, he couldn't break for some reason.

The door to the room opened with a mechanical whirr, "Get away from him!!" Yuan burst into the room just as the spiky-headed teen went for Sheena's exposed neck and sunk his teeth into her flesh; the ninja screamed. Only a pint of blood was lost from Sheena when Yuan ran between the two before anyone noticed and pushed the two apart holding his double-ended blade at Lloyd's throat. The voluptuous ninja fell back supported by Raine and Genis as she clutched her neck, stemming the blood flow.

"What happened to him?" Sheena made out standing up straight again; she could stand the loss of a pint of blood. "And why did he just do that?" The group could not take their eyes away from their friend's crimson colored eyes.

Lloyd's eyes turned more brown as Sheena's blood circulated in his system, now the shade of mahogany. He licked his bloodied lips returning the stares, stepped back a bit from Yuan's weapon.

"He's become a liability." Yuan spun his blade and slashed at Lloyd. The attempt failed, however, and the blue-haired man only succeeded on slashing through the teen's clothes, making a small scratch on his now exposed chest as Lloyd dodged backwards with his white ribbons whipping about.

"Stop it!" Genis yelled at the man trying to hurt his best friend. He tried to shove Yuan to the ground, but Raine held the boy still. Lloyd's eyes seemed to change between brown and the deep blood-like crimson and he bolted from the room. A look of regret momentarily flashed on the teen's face. Yuan, Rain, Genis, and Sheena pulling the unresponsive Colette pursued the echoing footsteps as they seemed to get farther and farther away.

There was a loud metallic whirr that echoed down the hall and the revving of an engine which soon turned to something of a high-pitched squeal along with the yells of several of what seemed to be yells of Renegades. When they finally arrived, they saw Lloyd riding high in the sky slightly zigzagging from trying to figure out the controls of the seemingly complex machine. Then, he disappeared.

"Curse, you, Lloyd Irving…" Yuan muttered, lowering his weapon.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Raine stated seriously, now in teacher mode.

"Yeah, you better." Sheena both seemed to agree and threaten Yuan as he nodded, leading the group off to get Botta so they could explain to them more thoroughly.

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Lloyd fought the blood thirst he so strongly felt as he flew on the rheaird only semiconscious. The blood he had taken from Sheena-- he cringed at the remembrance of hurting his friend from Tethe'alla-- had slackened the blood thirst enough so that he knew what he was doing. His vision was hazy making it even harder to guide the rheaird through the air with his still handcuffed hands; the controls for the flying machine were not as complicated as he had assumed they would be when he had mounted the winged machinery. He wasn't even sure he would be able to get it to move, or even knew if it would.

He fiddled around with the machinery and gave a yell when the ocean, the land, and even the air had changed around him which completely distracted him from his thirst. In his surprise, he slipped a bit and hit a button.

"AUTO-PILOT HAS BEEN INITIATED." A computerized female voice emanated from the machine which was barely heard over the sounds of the engine.

"Wha-what the…?!" Lloyd almost fell off from the startling height as the rheaird righted itself; they were currently flying over the ocean. He settled himself on the machine more securely and waited for a few seconds while the flying contraption continued to sail through the skies much more smoothly. As soon as he began to relax due to the smooth sailing, however, the blood thirst kicked back, and he felt dizzy. He tried to focus on the foreign surroundings below him and clenched his gloved hands tightly on the handles of the rheaird. The Ocean had more or less ended below and he was flying above rolling hills now; a large city was in sight; he tried to focus on the wondrous sight that was not something common in Sylvarant.

"ENERGY SUPPLY DEPLETED." The computerized voice spoke, shocking Lloyd once again. Violent vibrations shook the rheaird as he held on to the handles as tight as he could. The rheaird started to plummet downwards. There was a loud explosion as the red-clothed swordsman and the rheaird made contact with the ground sounding for miles around.

**********************************

A falling rheaird entered the edge of Zelos' vision, but he ignored it assuming it held some reckless young son of a noble who decided to try out the flying machine. _I could care less._ He shrugged off the thought and continued chatting with his miniature harem. Then, Zelos jerked his head up mid-conversation with his hunnies in Meltokio at the dull sound of an explosion far away.

"Master Zelos…" One of the girls whined, "What's wrong?" The rest of them started to join in the whine trying to win more attention. The Chosen of Tethe'alla untangled himself from the girls and stepped towards the sound with his gloved hand on his sheath.

"I heard something that sounded like an explosion, my delicate flowers, and I'm going to go check it out." He said starting to walk forward; another good excuse to leave the headache-inducing whines.

"Master Zelos is _so_ manly!" The group cooed and let him go, retreating through the large entrance into the bustling streets of Meltokio.

Wind rustled through his long curly red hair as he ambled over to survey the scene with his cornflower-colored eyes, not at all surprised at the blackened grass and smoke. Using a small bit of wind magic to clear the smoke for he didn't want to get his beautiful self _too_ dirty, he approached the rheaird. The flying machine was practically destroyed, and debris littered the once green grass. What really caught his eye though, was the unconscious teen that, too, lay among the wreckage facedown. His hair was blackened and his strange clothes, well, the top at least, was sliced down the middle. Zelos started to wonder how something like that could have happened, and came to a usual perverted conclusion.

"Hey, are you okay?" He poked the boy in the side with shoe. Silence.

"I hope he's not dead…" Zelos muttered when he got no response. _Well… I suppose I got my wish when I said I wanted something new… Man. Martel's one freaky goddess._ The words passed through his mind with a smirk as he hefted the boy onto his back.

"Dude, you owe me." He said though he knew he wasn't going to get a response. Leaving behind the still smoking wreckage behind them, they headed towards the Chosen's large mansion.

Zelos shifted Lloyd more carefully onto his back and yelled at the door, "'Bastian, let me in!" His trusted butler arrived at the door within minutes surprised to see his master carrying someone, and, on closer inspection, a guy.

"Welcome home, Master Zelos. May I ask who…?" He gestured towards the boy on his master's back.

"Ah. Call him Bud." Zelos didn't know his name, so he just threw out a random thing to call him.

"Yes, Master Zelos. Would you like me run a bath for Sir Bud?" Sebastian questioned taking note of all the soot and blackened clothes of the boy as Zelos started making his way to his room.

"That'd be great, 'Bastian." He called down he entered his room, and threw the teen onto his bed with a sigh. The boy was still out cold. Then he smirked as an idea came into his head.

"I'm gonna have to do this sooner or later, so sorry, Bud." The redhead sarcastically apologized as he got closer to the boy. Now that he was looking more closely, he noticed that the teen had two swords, which he slowly and easily slipped off their place on his belt.

"Looks like I've got myself a swordsman here…" He chuckled and started to slowly remove his torn red jacket, admiring the swordsman's well-toned muscles. "Different from girls, but beautiful in it's own way…" The Chosen trailed a finger on the tan skin, then stopped when Lloyd moved.

Lloyd slowly opened his eyes to stare into the cornflower eyes above him, his ears echoing with the dull thump of the Chosen's heart. "Stay back!" He yelled with a kick that hit squarely on Zelos' chest. The swordsman shuffled backwards further onto the bed trying to block out the thumps of Zelos' heart to no avail for his hands were still handcuffed.

"That wasn't very nice, bud." He said as the kick knocked some of the air inside his lungs out. Zelos advanced on the struggling teen grabbing the cuffed hands and pinning them on the white sheets of his bed above Lloyd's head. He placed a knee on his chest to keep the boy from wiggling too much.

"I said get away…" The words were weaker now; the beating got louder. Lloyd didn't want to hurt someone he didn't know just like he hurt Sheena.

"But, bud," Zelos frowned a bit. "I saved you from that wreckage, don't you want to do something for me?" The words were slowly whispered into Lloyd's ear. That was the last the now crimson-eyed swordsman could take as he sunk his teeth into the Chosen's neck without warning drinking the much needed blood.

Lloyd's eyes started to turn brown and he broke away leaving the Chosen to clutch his neck and lift his knee a bit. More in control of his actions, Lloyd topped off the bed and tried to make for the door.

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Me: Before I say anything else... **READ AND REVIEW!** ...Whew. I uploaded this fast~ Mostly because I had no homework tonight, and I didn't really get stuck. Hooray~ I tried my best to keep the characters in... well... character, ad I hope I got them pretty close~ Well... except for the whole Lloyd biting people. *demonic grin* Right, so I triiied to get a bit M-rated up there cause the moment kinda called for it... I almost forced myself to do a... dare I say it... bath scene *almost dies*. Obviously though, I didn't. Hope you guys (and girls, like myself XD) enjoy the plot twist I put in (Lloyd leaving on his own). I'm finally getting further from the original plot with this chapter~ Hooray~

Zelos: You talk a lot. *fake sniffling* You make me feel sorry for Lloyd.

Lloyd: AS IF! YOU ENJOYED THAT DIDN'T YOU?!

Zelos: Heh. It's all right, _bud_. Don't think too hard about it. *tries to hug Lloyd*

Lloyd: Don't touch me! :O

Me: Settle down... After all, you sorta got even with him, right? You bit him.

Zelos: Oh, my poor previously unmarked skin...

Lloyd: =.=

Me: hahaha... Oh how I enjoy watching you guys talk. *mutters* though I'm the one making you talk so technically I'm talking to myself...

Zelos: Schizophrenic.

Me: :O You're going down Zelos! GRAWR! DO NOT UPSET THE AUTHOR! *writes that a building collapsed on him*

Zelos: X_X

Lloyd: O_O.... *inches out of room nervously*

Me: *cackles* Right, so again... **READ AND REVIEW!** I'll write slow and torture you all if you doooon't~


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